The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in English language arts. The lowest is 60% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Red Oak Elem School
Red Oak Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Highland Park, an affluent North Shore suburb along Lake Michigan. The school enrolls a small but diverse student body, with roughly half identifying as Hispanic, a sizable white enrollment, and smaller Asian and multiracial populations. The school population is predominantly English-speaking, though the district's dual-language program has historically operated here.
On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, Red Oak shows a mixed academic profile. In English language arts, the school posts solid proficiency rates: third grade reaches the high seventies, fourth and fifth grades both around three-quarters meeting or exceeding state standards. Mathematics tells a different story. Third grade performs comparably well in the mid-seventies, but fourth and fifth grades both fall to the low fifties. Science proficiency in fifth grade sits at sixty percent. Against the county's districts in Lake County, Red Oak's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint, a position that reflects the strength in reading alongside the softer math performance in the upper elementary grades.
Parents should take note of a significant district decision announced in June 2025: Red Oak Elementary will close at the end of the 2026-27 school year. The district voted to consolidate its dual-language program into Oak Terrace Elementary beginning in the 2027-28 school year. This closure stems from declining dual-language enrollment and a drop in Hispanic student enrollment district-wide since the 2020-21 school year. For families currently at Red Oak or considering the school, this timeline means the school will remain open through at least the next two academic years, but families should plan for eventual transition to other district buildings.
The broader district context matters here. In November 2022, Highland Park voters approved a major bond referendum for facility renovations across all ten North Shore School District 112 schools, including security upgrades, modernized air-quality systems, and accessibility improvements. The renovated Ravinia Elementary opened recently, and Braeside and Wayne Thomas are next in the construction queue. The referendum carries an estimated property tax increase for homeowners over the payoff period. For a family considering Highland Park, the combination of rebuilt school buildings and elevated property taxes is a lasting financial and operational factor.
Highland Park itself sits in an active real estate market and development cycle. The North Shore location, with downtown Metra service, a vibrant central business district anchored by cultural institutions like the Ravinia Festival, and waterfront access to Lake Michigan, supports a strong housing market. Multiple townhome and multi-family residential projects are underway or approved near the downtown core, including a large former industrial site conversion. Home values in the area are substantial, and rental costs are proportional.
The school itself is small for its grades, with just over two hundred students spread across kindergarten through fifth grade. Class sizes appear modest, and the neighborhood setting is typical of residential Highland Park. Red Oak does not appear to operate under Title I eligibility, and free-or-reduced-price-lunch data are not publicly available. The school's single most important context for prospective families is the announced closure. Families enrolling now should expect the school to operate through June 2027, after which their child would transfer to another district elementary building as part of the dual-language consolidation. Any family considering Red Oak should confirm current enrollment policies and transition plans directly with the district.
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